


For You I Will (A Thousand Times Remix)

by ishipallthings



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Canon Divergence - Avengers: Endgame (Movie), F/M, Fluff and Angst, Getting Together, Kissing, Love Confessions, M/M, Minor Scott Lang/Hope Van Dyne, Misunderstandings, Mutual Pining, Not Actually Unrequited Love, POV Alternating, Pining, Post-Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Post-Canon Fix-It, Remix, Weddings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-28
Updated: 2020-02-28
Packaged: 2021-02-28 03:40:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,573
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22897381
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ishipallthings/pseuds/ishipallthings
Summary: During Hope and Scott’s wedding reception, Tony asks Steve for a dance. Steve turns him down, but not for the reason Tony thinks.
Relationships: Steve Rogers/Tony Stark
Comments: 31
Kudos: 448
Collections: 2020 Captain America/Iron Man Remix Madness





	For You I Will (A Thousand Times Remix)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [sheron](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sheron/gifts).
  * Inspired by [A Thousand Times, Once](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15953720) by [sheron](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sheron/pseuds/sheron). 



> A remix of Sheron's lovely fic A Thousand Times, Once for Remix Madness - I hope you like it! 💕
> 
> Notes: This fic takes place approximately three years after the Decimation is reversed and Thanos is defeated. Tony and Pepper are not together and are co-parenting Morgan together. Everyone made it and Professor Hulk is no longer a thing. Certain turn of phrases in this story have been borrowed from the original fic. 
> 
> A big thank you to my two betas erde and Addy, this fic wouldn't be here without your help! Thank you to the Cap-IM Mods for hosting this event :)
> 
> Title is from the song For You I Will (Confidence) by Teddy Geiger.

* * *

It’s a beautiful wedding. 

Hope’s smile is incandescent as she comes down the aisle with both her parents, and Scott starts tearing up even before the ceremony starts, Cassie grinning beside him, holding the rings. Steve notices more than one Avenger following Scott’s example when the couple start exchanging their vows. Tony isn’t one of them, though he lets out a wolf-whistle when the officiant declares that it’s time for the bride and groom to kiss. Tony’s seat is only one row in front of Steve’s, but in the chaos of everyone moving to the reception area, Steve loses track of him until the dancing starts. Then he spots Tony on the other side of the room, chatting to a clearly tipsy Bruce on the sidelines. 

Steve tries to pretend for a moment, to himself at least, that he’s not reining in the urge to go over and talk to Tony, that he’s not waiting to hear Tony’s voice.

“You can go over and talk to him. He’s not going to yell at you.” Natasha comes up to stand next to him, leaning against the bar. It’s as if she's read his mind. Not that that would surprise Steve. Her voice is soft with a teasing note, but Steve hears encouragement in it as well. It leaves him feeling warm even as he lets out a sharp laugh and downs his drink in one go. 

“That’s not why I’m not going over there.” His words come out tight and low, and it’s only when Nat places her hand on Steve’s shoulder that he looks up from his empty glass. 

Steve knows that once, he wouldn’t have been so sure that any kind of interaction with Tony wouldn’t result in angry barbs, or worse, heavy silences that seemed to sink his into bones every time they happened. 

But that was years and a lifetime ago, back when the universe was halved. Before they brought everyone back, before Steve had put his trust in Tony’s hands with no hesitation and Tony chose to follow him. After everything, things are good with Tony, and that’s more than Steve ever expected or thought he would ever get. Steve knows that if he crosses the room to Tony, Tony will turn to him with a friendly smile, probably a joke or two about having to dress up in suits for the wedding. The conversation will fall into a familiar rhythm of give and take, Steve asking after Morgan and Tony ribbing Steve about his place in Brooklyn. At the end of the night, they’ll part ways, Tony saying to Steve that they should catch up sometime, make a day of it, and the occasional text message aside, the next time Steve will see him will be at another one of these gatherings, with most of the team in one place. 

It’s good, great, even. Most days, Steve can tell himself that it’s enough, and believe it. 

Tonight is not one of those times. 

“And sulking in the corner is going to solve your problem, how exactly?” Nat raises an eyebrow as Steve turns to face her. “At least go talk to him, you’re going to be in a mood for days if you keep avoiding him, and you know Fury never appreciates that.”

“So this is what, you putting the team’s interests first?” Steve asks. 

“Of course. I stopped trying to set you up with someone years ago. Too much work.” Nat replies. Despite the heaviness in his chest, Steve feels himself relaxing a little in her company as they exchange familiar banter and discuss the wedding. 

When Bucky comes to collect her for a dance, he sends them off with a smile, promising to join in later.

“I thought you never dance at these things.” 

Steve whirls around to find Tony looking at him. He looks gorgeous, dressed to the nines in a classic black and white tuxedo that fits him like a dream. Just the sight of him is enough to leave Steve breathless. He’s floundering for something to say, caught off-guard with having Tony so close after watching him from a distance, when his eyes fall on Tony’s tie. 

Tony follows his gaze, a delighted grin breaking out on his face. “You like it? Morgan picked it out for me a couple days ago, she insisted on some Iron Man flair.” 

Steve puts a hand to his mouth before letting out a laugh, something loosening inside him. Some days, he aches with the effort of keeping all of his feelings for Tony inside him, a secret he can never tell, but moments like this make it easier. An answering smile crosses Steve's face as he nods down at the red and gold tie around Tony’s neck. “She’s got good taste for a seven-year-old. I think it’s perfect.” 

“Thank you.” Tony gives an exaggerated bow, finishing with a flourish before placing his nearly empty glass on the bar table next to him, moving closer to Steve in the process. 

“So, dancing. I thought that wasn’t your thing,” Tony continues.Tony’s arm is not quite touching Steve’s as he leans against the bar, but it’s close enough to leave Steve feeling warm and flustered, hyper-aware of just how little distance there is between them. 

“Yeah no, that was just to fob Bucky off, he’s persistent. He’ll probably get Shuri to drag me in with them next.” Rubbing his hand across the back of his neck, Steve feels his face heat with a flush of embarrassment. 

Unlike Tony’s many partners tonight, he’d look absolutely ridiculous on the dance floor, and Steve has no desire to become a laughingstock in Tony’s mind.

Looking out at the crowd, Steve sees Scott and Hope slow dancing amidst the many other couples. They only have eyes for each other, their happiness clear for everyone to see, and for a moment Steve feels a pang of longing so strong he almost can’t breathe. 

_If only._

Forcing his mind away from the treacherous image of him and Tony smiling like that in each other’s arms, Steve looks up to find Tony’s gaze fixed on him. There’s something unreadable in his face that sends Steve’s heart racing, even though he has no idea what it is. 

“It’s easier with a partner, you know. If you -” Tony clears his throat before tugging at the knot of his tie, and Steve swallows hard at the sliver of skin at the base of Tony’s throat that the movement exposes.

“Do you want to dance?” he finishes.

Steve’s brain comes to a sudden screeching halt at these words. _Could Tony possibly..._

“After all, I’ve got a dance card to fill out.” Tony follows this up with a quick, loud laugh. 

The rising wonder and hope in Steve’s heart flickers unsteadily in response. “Doesn’t count if you don’t get all the Avengers, right?” Tony says casually.

 _Oh._

Steve’s heart plummets to his feet with a sickening thud. Right. Of course it’s just a joke, a casual offer made for laughs, or even worse, out of pity. Of course Tony doesn’t mean it the way Steve desperately hoped he did, like maybe he returned even a fraction of Steve’s feelings. 

Steve bites down hard on his lip to give himself a few seconds to put himself back together before replying. There’s a squeezing sensation in his chest that’s making it hard to breathe, and he can’t bring himself to meet Tony’s eyes in case he gives it all away. 

“Thanks, but I’d be terrible at it. Hulk would probably do a better job. Besides, you just want the whole set, that’s all.” Steve tries to carry on the joke, but his attempt at normalcy falls flat and he trails off in silence. An uneasy tension blankets the space between them, replacing the earlier camaraderie, and Steve wonders if they’ll ever end up on the same page, or if he’ll always end up reading too much or too little into Tony’s words, always missing the point.

“Steve, wait…” Tony’s expression is so concerned and earnest when Steve finally looks up at him that Steve’s composure almost cracks, but he catches himself just in time. It’s unfair to ask Tony to take on the burden of Steve’s inconvenient, foolish feelings no matter how much this hurts. 

It doesn’t escape Steve’s notice that after all this time, in a way, he’s still lying to Tony. He just doesn’t know what else to do. Steve knows that Tony would be gracious if he knew the truth; he’d never rub Steve’s face in it or laugh at him, but it would only make it harder for them to be friends. And if friends is all Steve can have, he can tell himself he’s happy with that most of the time. 

Right now though, it’s too much. Steve needs to not be around Tony for a while, to wrestle his feelings back without having to keep a mask in place. He makes his excuses to Tony, something about needing air and a break from the festivities. 

Moments later, he finds himself out on the balcony, mercifully alone.

At least here, there’s no one to see his heart break just a little more.

* * *

It’s nearly midnight when Tony decides to seek Steve out. Most of the guests have already departed, including Hope and Scott, who are headed off on their honeymoon. Rhodey and Carol are one of the few couples still on the dance floor. Tony had thought about leaving early, but Morgan is with Pepper and Happy this weekend, so all he would be going back to is an empty penthouse and more SI paperwork. After the night he’s had, that’s not much to look forward to. Besides, Tony likes to think he’s learned something over the years, even if it’s taken years of silence and an unused flip phone. Leaving things unresolved with Steve has never led to a good track record, and he doesn't want to fall back on old habits. Granted, talking it out has never been their strong suit, but Tony’s willing to give it a shot.

He finds Steve getting some air out on the balcony beyond the glass doors. His back is turned away from Tony as he looks out to the open gardens in front of them, both elbows propped up on the railing. Tony’s pretty sure Hank Pym and Janet Van Dyne rented out this entire mansion for their daughter’s wedding. The view is stunning, but Tony is too preoccupied with a certain blue-eyed, blonde super-soldier to really appreciate it. 

The hum of anxiety overtaking Tony’s body sharpens into a deeper unease when he sees Steve’s face fall imperceptibly at the sight of him, even as he strives for a weak smile in Tony’s direction. _He doesn’t want to see me,_ Tony thinks, and the realization feels like a kick to the chest **,** like the shrapnel has suddenly found a way to inch closer to his heart, even though he hasn’t needed the arc reactor to breathe for years. Steve’s silence strengthens this conviction, and Tony’s stomach sinks even further down.

The smartest move, Tony knows, would be to leave now, give Steve some space, and the next time they see each other they can sweep this under the carpet like it’s no big deal. It’d be fine. But the part of him that asked Steve to dance in the first place, the part of him that keeps hoping Steve will actually take him up on one of his invites someday has him rooted to the spot. He doesn’t want to leave Steve, especially when he’s hurting. They’ve both done their fair share of walking away from each other, and all Tony wants to do now is to stay. 

“I’m sorry, Steve.” The almost blank expression on Steve’s face morphs into something tighter at Tony’s words, and oh god, he’s said the wrong thing again, hasn’t he?

Steve lets out a long sigh before shaking his head, and Tony aches at the clear resignation on Steve’s face. In that moment, Tony thinks that he would put on the armor and bring back the freaking moon for Steve if that meant he won’t ever look so sad again. 

“I don’t—you don’t have to be sorry, Tony. You didn’t do anything wrong.” Steve says. 

Shoving his hands in his pockets, Tony keeps his eyes fixed on Steve’s face. “I did though. You told me about Peggy, and how you never did get your dance with her - I shouldn’t have made a joke of it like that. I guess I was a little nervous.”

“You remember that?” Steve asks, obviously surprised. 

There’s something soft and wondering in his tone that makes Tony’s heart clench. He’s heard it before, when they stayed with Clint and Laura while chasing Ultron. Before Sokovia happened, before the guilt of it drove him to quit the team. Maybe if he had stayed, or if Steve had asked him to stay, like a small part of Tony had wanted, things would have turned out differently. But Tony knows better than most that there’s no use in chasing what-ifs. He wouldn’t change the time he had with Pepper, or having Morgan in his life, for anything else.

He remembers that night in Clint and Laura’s farmhouse so clearly. Steve wouldn’t stop shivering after Tony had woken Steve from a nightmare, so Tony had wrapped him in his own blanket for more warmth. To distract Steve from slipping back into another nightmare, Tony had asked Steve to tell him about the vision Wanda had shown him. And to Tony’s surprise, Steve had. He told Tony about his promise to Peggy, and how seeing her again felt like a dream come true at first, but then it all went wrong. 

The next morning, Steve thanked Tony for listening in the same tone he used just now. There was a warmth to his gaze that Tony had quietly kept close until everything fell apart again.

Steve never asked Tony what he saw in his vision, and Tony never told him. Never told him that he saw the team die, saw Steve die, and that was the one thing Tony couldn’t let happen.

He also remembers how distracted Steve had been once they had gotten the extra Pym Particles needed while improvising during the time heist. It was only after everything that Steve mentioned he had seen Peggy in 1970. Maybe after all this time, Steve’s heart is still in the past. The idea makes Tony’s throat tighten. Even if he doesn’t have a chance with Steve, he still wants Steve to be happy with someone.

 _I remember everything about you,_ he doesn’t say, because he knows exactly what that will sound like. Like he’s in love with Steve.

“Of course I do,” Tony tells him.

Silence falls between them. Steve looks so handsome in his suit and tie it’s almost enough to make Tony dizzy, and Tony takes a moment to drink in the sight of him. He’s not sure if he’ll get a chance next time.

He’s startled when Steve steps closer to him, but it’s a welcome change. Tony can feel the heat radiating off of Steve’s body, a stark contrast to the colder evening breeze, and a tiny part of him lights up with hope. He thinks of how easy it would be to pull Steve to him by his lapels and sink into his warmth, how easy it would be to kiss him, if Steve wanted it too.

“Tony, that’s not why I was upset. Peggy meant a lot to me, _means_ a lot to me, but I’m not still holding on to that.” Steve says in a firm voice. When Tony looks up, Steve’s face is even closer than before. So close, in fact, that Tony can almost count his eyelashes, can see the speck of green in the blue Steve’s eyes. It’s a heady distraction, but it's Steve's expression that has Tony captivated, a mixture of wonder and careful hope.

“I shouldn’t have run off like that,” Steve says, his eyes never moving from Tony’s face. His words come out in a whisper **,** soft and intimate in the scant inches of space between them, and Tony wonders if it's possible to die of wanting someone. 

Tony feels his lips quirk up in a smile as he answers back in an equally soft voice. “I’ll forgive you if you tell me why you did.”

His voice is tender and warm, full of everything Tony feels for Steve that he hasn’t yet put into words. Years ago, he could have never imagined talking about forgiveness with Steve like this, but they’ve made it past the chasm that once existed between them and he’s beyond happy that they have. 

“I wanted to dance with you,” Steve says slowly, as if needing to gauge Tony’s reaction with every word **.** The admission feels like the last piece of the puzzle slipping into place, and Tony holds his breath as Steve continues. He feels like he’s floating on air, like this is a dream. 

“But I thought you just saw it as a bit of fun, and that was the last thing on my mind. I wanted, I _want_ more with you, Tony, and the thought of having to let you go after one dance…” Steve trails off as Tony strokes his fingers across the back of Steve’s hand, reveling in Steve’s sharp intake of breath at the touch. The contact is warm and real, and it’s enough to convince Tony that he really isn’t dreaming. He reads the look in Steve’s eyes, and he knows it’s the same one on his face. 

Steve loves him. Steve _loves_ him. 

Feeling brave, Tony wraps an arm around Steve’s waist, his other hand drifting upwards to hold Steve’s shoulder in an imitation of a dance. Steve follows his touch, swaying forward as if entranced, and the clear want on his face sends a flood of desire through Tony’s veins. 

**“** I don’t just want one dance, Steve,” he says. The fierce joy that blooms across Steve’s face has Tony’s heart pounding. It feels like they’re the only two people left in the world. It feels like magic.

Carefully, Tony leans forward to frame Steve’s face in his hands, his thumb pressing down on Steve’s lower lip. His body tightens in anticipation as Steve’s eyes widen, dark with desire. Tony moans when Steve’s hands move up his back, the heat of the contact tantalizing even through the fabric of his jacket. 

In a blink of an eye, Tony finds himself cradled in Steve’s arms and they’re kissing, Steve clutching Tony to him like he might disappear if he doesn’t hold on tight enough, never mind the fact that Tony never wants to be doing anything else other than kissing Steve, ever. Tony presses himself impossibly closer into Steve’s embrace, wrapping his legs around Steve’s waist while licking into Steve’s mouth. Tony’s hands find purchase in Steve’s hair and he makes the very welcome discovery that tugging on it elicits a series of choked-off moans from Steve, whose hands move from Tony’s back to his waist and then back again, as if wanting to be in both places at the same time.

Then Steve directs his attention to Tony’s neck, kissing his way up the line of Tony’s throat and it’s Tony’s turn to whimper, clinging on to Steve as they exchange kiss after kiss. 

It’s minutes or years later when they part for breath, faces flushed and eyes bright. Tony laughs, his hands still cupping Steve’s face. **“** I can’t believe you haven’t noticed how gone I am for you. I’ve been trying to get you to come out with me for months.”

“I was afraid. I wasn’t sure if you really meant it. It definitely didn’t occur to me that you’d be asking me on a date.” Steve admits, looking sheepish. Tony reaches up and smooths away Steve’s frown with his fingers, basking in the glow of Steve’s smile at the gesture. 

“Steve, I did mean it,” Tony says. There’s more he needs to say, but all he wants to do right now is kiss Steve again, so he does. Steve kisses back, hard, and Tony loses himself in it, wanting to reassure Steve through touch and warmth that he is here to stay. 

When they break apart again, Tony leans forward to rest his head on Steve’s shoulder, tangling his fingers in Steve’s hair. He whispers the words into Steve’s skin, into the warm crook of his neck. It’s a secret he no longer needs to carry alone in his heart. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” The words are out of Steve’s mouth almost before Tony has finished, his voice hoarse and low with emotion. It's as if Steve has been holding back for a long time and wants to say them as soon as possible now that he can. The thought of it leaves a warm, blissful feeling in Tony’s stomach.

“That means you’re stuck with me, you know.” Tony teases. Steve’s smile lights up his face like sunshine.

“Nowhere else in the universe I’d rather be,” he says, and Tony knows it’s the truth.

“I’m gonna hold you to that,” Tony replies. He moves in for another kiss, wrapping his arms around Steve's shoulders. This time, Steve meets him halfway.

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and kudos are the best, I'd love to hear your thoughts!


End file.
